Record-controlled musical instrument



Feb. 2 1926. 1,571,859

H. P. MAUS ET AL RECORD CONTROLLED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed May 1, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 3 undo 7/ Plaza/.5;

, Ill (mum;

Feb. 2 1926.

H. P. MAUS ET AL RECORD CONTROLLED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed May 1, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 or m) Patented Feb. 2, 1926.

UNITED STATES HARRY P. MAUS AND DODE M. LAMSON, OF LIMA, OHIO.

RECORD-CONTROLLED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Application filed, May 1,

'1 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Hamil P. MAUs and Donn M. LAMSON, citizens of the United States, and residents of Lima, in the county of Allen and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Record-Controlled Musical Instruments, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to record-controlled organs, and particularly to a means for adapting player piano rolls for use in recordcontrolled organs. i

Gne of the problems which at the present time confront the manufacturers of recort controlled organs is that, in order to play the large amount of music which is continually being placed upon the market, it is necessary to have cut a large number of music records. Due to the fact that the record-controlled organ has not come into as general use as has the record-controlled piano, the number of calls for each record is much-less for the organ than for the piano. This, of course, results in fewer sales, and consequently the price, per roll sold, is made proportionately higher than the piano rolls. The library of such rolls for record-controlled organs, because of this expense, is limited. In the past piano record rolls have not been available for use on the record-controlled organ, for the reason that there are notes played by the piano which are not played by the organ. For exan'iple, certain notes in proximity to the obligato or melody may be omitted, in this case, in order to bring out the obligato or melody.

The primary object of our invention is the provision of an improved record-controlled organ wherein the mechanism. adapts for use the ordinary standard 88-note piano record for use in the record-controlled organ.

Another object of our invention is the provision of means in a record-controlled organ for silencing all of the notes except one in a group, such, forexample, as the highest one of each chord of those whose mechanisms are operated in the treble or the lowest one of those whose mechanisms are operated in the bass.

Another and further object of our invention is the provision of means whereby the sounding of all notes of a group, except the highest, rn. "be prevented and whereby the 1923. serial No. 635,875.

particular note sounded may be played in any of the lesser organs of a pipe organ.

iii'iother and still further object of our invention is the provision of a single pneumatic means and cooperating devices for controlling the disconnection of all lower notes in. its particular group.

Another and still further object ofour invention is the provision of pneumato-electric means for disconnecting the notes lower than the highest note in a chord.

Another and still further object of our invention is the provision of an improved power pneumatic.

Referring to the drawing where we have illustrated a preferred embodiment of our invention Figure 1 is a diagrammatic sketch illustrating our invention, this View being primarily to show operation rather than structure.

' Figure 2 is a diagrammatic cross section of the working parts of an embodiment of our invention.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the work ing parts of the lower portion of Figure 52..

Figure 4 is a detail View of the pneumatic and the obligato control switch and pneumatic for one note.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4, but showing the pneumatic collapsed.

Figure 6 is a detail sectional viewon the line 66 of Figure 8 on an enlarged scale.

Figure 7 is a detail sectional View on the line 77 of Figure 6.

The same reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the views.

In Figure l we have designated generally by the characters A, B and C the mechanism for controlling the speaking of three respective notes.

l0", 10", 10 designate three pneumatics for controlling the operation of three adjacent note-sounding devices.

Each pneumatic has a weight 11*, ll", ll

or other means for normally causing the collapse of the pneumatic. A bleed ;device 12, 12. 12 is provided in each pneumatic and provided with a small hole to com nect the interior of the pneumatic with the exterior, for a purpose to be described.

Referring now particularly to Figure l, the pneumatic 10, 10", 10 are each provided with circuit-controlling devices 13", 18 and and 1 k", 1%, respe t e y, The ir cuit-controlling devices 13, etc., 14:, etc., are operated, respectively, by the pneumatic etc, as shown diagramn'iatically on Figure 1 and structurally in Figures 2 and 3.

In position to be operated by the circuitcontrolling device 13 is aswitch member 15 which normally contacts with a contact member 16"-, but is in position to contact with the contact member 17 when the pneumatic 10 is inflated.

The adjacent note-controlling mechanisms, respectively, are provided with switch members 15*, 15 corresponding to the switch member 15 and contact members 16", 17" 16, 17 corresponding, respectively, with the contact members 16, 17.

Adjacent the switch and contact members 15 16, 17 a and operated by the member 1t irom action of the pneumatic 10 are pairs of stop contact members 18 and 19 in position to have contact closed between the mem ber of each pair when the member l l is operated by the expansion of the pneumatic 10. Each of the members 18 is connected to each other member 18 in its group. Each member 19 is connected through a separate power device as the magnets hi to the ground as on the bus bar or frame memb r G, it being understood that each magnet controls the speaking of that note in its stop group if the corresponding stop is operated as will be later described. The leads to the stop mech-- anisms have been designated To stop #1, To stop #2, etc., for each note, it being understoodthat each stop, (not shown) would control all of the notes in its subdivision of the organ, and when not operated the closing or" the circuit'by the member 1t, 1 l etc, would not affect the note in that particular subdivision. The stop mechanism could be in the form of a switch controlling the current for the operation otthe notes of that stop group, theusual air pressure control to the stop group or any other suitable construction. This stop mechanism per se is not a part of our invention, and'consequently it is'not thought necessary to show or describe the same in'clet-ail.

By the characters 18", 19-" and 18, 19 we have designated contact members for the notes B and C. These contact members are similar in'construction and function to the contact members 18 19. In the same way magnets M", M have been provided for the note mechanisms of B- andG. These are similar 'inconstruction to magnets M.

Each of the switch members, as 15, 15 is in communication with a contact member 16", 16 ot the next higher note, as B, C except that the switch member 15 of the high est note is connected to the source electric power 20. i i

The contact member 17 is at times in con tact with the contact member 15 in order to supply the current to the mechanisn'i tor causing the notes to speak, as will be later described.

The pneumatics 10, 10", 10, etc., are ar ranged within a wind chest 21 having a. source of exhaust through the tube A duct 23 in the base of the chest 21 connects the pneumatic 10 with the tube 24:, there being one pneumatic 10, 10 10, etc., "for each note and one duct 23 and one tube 24 tor each. pneumatic.

lVe have provided two trackers T and T having, res, actively, take up rolls l1 and R and winding shafts for music rolls 1' and 1". These two trackers are provided in order that no time may be lostwhen it is desired to have continuous playing without interruptions due to rewinding.

In connection with the two trackers is the switching block 25. A duct 26 leads from each tracker duct to duct 27 within the block. This duct 27 communicates with a pocket formed by the pouch 28 in the chamber 29. There is one of these pouches provided for each note, the same forming, when raised, a communication between the duct 27 and the duct 80, the ports of the two. ducts 27 and 30 being adjacent each other and in position to be covered by the pad 31 of the pouch 28. The chamber 29 is, by a duct 82, connected to two pressures, as atmosphere and exhaust by a suitable switch.

Ducts 26" 27, pouch 28, chamber duct 30, pad 31 and duct 32 are similar to parts 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 and 32 already described, but having cooperation with the tracker T. The ducts 32, 32 may be connected with a suitable switching valve so that when one duct 32 is connected to a low pressure, as suction, the other duct 82 will be connected to a higher pressure, as atmospheric, and vice versa.

The operation of the shifting device is as follows:

with the apparatus shown as in Figures 1 and 2- the chamber 2%) is at atmospheric pressure, thereby permitting all of the pouches 28 to close the ports to the ducts 27 and 30. The chamber 29 is under ex haust influence, and conse picntly the pouches 28' will be raised.

The music sheet is then operated over the tracker T. When a perforation in the sheet opens the duct 26 air at atmospheric pressure will be admitted and will pass through the duct 26, duct 27, under pouch 28, through duct 30, duct 21-, duct 23, and into the pneumatic 10. Since the chamber is under the influence of exhaust tension, the pneumatic 10* will be inflated, causing the members 13 and let to control the electric circuits, as will be hereinafter described. It will be noted that the bleed 12 permits some air which enters the pneumatic 10 to be exhausted into the chamber 21. The bleed is, however, small. compared to the lli') iii) tracker perforation, and consequently has no effect at this time.

When the tracker duct is closed by the end of the sheet perforation the bleed 12 permits th air within the pneumatic 1G and the ducts 23, 2 s, 26 and 2?. to be er; hausted, thus permitting the weight 11 to cause the collapse of the pneumatic.

Referring now to the showing on jigure 1, let us assume that two perforations corresponding to notes A and C open their tracker ducts. As already described, the pneumatics 10 and 10 would immediately be inflated, causing the contact l'ietween members 15 and 16 to be broken and con-- tact made between members 15 and 17*. Likewise the contact between men'ibers 15 and 16 would be broken and contact would be made between members 15 and 1?, as shown at the lower portion of Figure 1.

At the same time the contact would be made between all of the contact members 18 and their respective co-operating contact members 19 and also between the contact members 18 and their co-operating contact members 19.

The electrical circuits thus made are as follow.

From the ground G, which in practice would be on the main frame or bus bar, by way of the battery or other source or power 20, switch member 15 contact member 12', contact members 18, contact members 19 to each power magnet M, and back to the ground, which in practice would be the aforesaid mam frame or bus bar Tins would cause each C note in the organ controlled by a stop which was operated to spear. It is also to be noted. that the disconnection between switch 15 and 16 would prevent the operation of any of the notes controlled by the contacts 18 and 19.

It will be seen that it the pneumatic 10 had not have been operated only pneumatic 10 having been. operated, the connection would, instead of by way ot 17, have been by way of contact member 16, switch member contact member 16", switch member 15, contact membe: 17, contact members 18, to the respective contact members 19 and thence by way of the power u'iagnct hi to the ground on the main frame or bus bar G. M

From the above description it is clear that when two or more notc per-torations in a group cause their operating pncumatics to be operated only the pneumatic corresponding to the highest note will be c'ttcctive to sound a note, since all lower ones in the group will not be permitted to sound because of the interruption in the circuit.

lVhile we have described an embodiment of our invention in detail, we desire to hav it understood that we do not limit ourselves to the exact showing of the drawing and that modifications and changes may be made vithout departing from the spirit of our invention and within the scope of the up pended claims.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. .1 rccord-controlled musical instrument comprisin a re oral-controlled mechanism for controlling; the operation of each notesoundin device to be played, including cooperatim; connections between the controlling mechanisms to prevent, when two or more are sin tancously operated, the sounding: of all or the notes except one.

2. it record-controlled musical instrument c mprising a record-controlled mechanism tor controlling the operation of each notesoundingz device to be played, including correlated connec ions between the controlling, mechanisms to prevent, when two or more are simultaneously operated, the sounding of all except the note-sounding device of the highest note.

A record-controlled musical instrument comprising groups of a record-controlled mechanism for controlling the operation of eachnote-sounding device to be played, including; connections between the controlling mechanisms to prevent, when two or more are ogerated, the sounding of all except one of the notes of the group.

t. A record-controlled musical instrument mmprising a treble group and a bass group of record-controlled mechanism tor controlling the operation of each note-sounding device to he played, including connections between the controlling mechanisms to prevent, when two or more are operated, the sounding oi all of the treble group except the highest note.

A record-controlled musical instrument comprising a record-controlled mechanism tor controlling the operation of each notesounding device to be played, each including a switch i'neans having a member tor i an?- mitting power to controlling mechanisms beyond in the sc: lo when the switch member is not operated and having; a men'iber, when o urated, tor cutting oil power communication beyond in the scale and causing; its notcsoundinn' device to operate.

A record-controlled musical instrument comprisiima record-controlled mechanism for controlling the operation o'l each notc sounding device to he played, each including a twi'imy electric switch havin a conncction to transmit power to control mechanisms beyond in the scale when in one position. and to cut off said t'ansmission and cause its note to speak when in the other position.

7. A record-controlled musical instrument comprising a tracker, pneumatics under control of the tracker, a source of electric power, an electrical control member in position to be operated by each of the pneumat ics, and electrical circuit including a serieS oi said control members, the electrical control members being so constructed and arranged in the circuit that when a plurality are simultaneously operated all except the one nearest an end of the scale will be prevented from transmitting power to their respective note-sounding devices.

8, ll record-controlled musical instrument comprising a plurality of record-controlled mechanisms for respectively controlling the operation of different sounding devices to be played, a plurality of stops, the controlling mechanisms controlling the sounding of a note in a plurality of stops and connections under control the controlling mechanisms, when two or more are simultaneously operated, to prevent the sounding of notes controlled by all except one of said controlling mechanisms.

9. A record-controlled musical instrument comprising a plurality of record-controlled mechanisms for respectively controlling the operation of dili'el'ent sounding devices to be played, a plurality of stops, the controlling mechanisms comprising an electrical circuit having switch means for the several controlling means in series with each other, and a branch from each switch means having multiple connection to the note in a plurality of stops.

10. A record-controlled musical instrument comprising a plurality of record-controlled mechanisms for respectively controlling the operation of different sounding devices to be played, a plurality of stops, the controlling mechanisms comprising an electrical circuit having switch means for the several controlling means in series with each other and a branch from each switch means having multiple connection to the note in a plurality of stops, the switch means being so constructed as, when operated, to cut off electrical communication to other switch means beyond in the scale.

HARRY P. MAUS. DODE M. LAMSON. 

